I Got an Award!

This was awarded to me yesterday morning at an awards breakfast for my company.  I am excited to have been invited to be a part of the very first Champions Club Award winners  I was one of the top 25 employees in my market for the first quarter of 2012--which says something because there are 92 different branches with employees in a number of positions up for consideration!  I should also note that my employment credentials (including sales numbers, cash balancing, customer service ratings, etc) were stacked against full time employees--not just other part time employees like myself.

I don't mean to brag, but I just strive to do my best everyday.  I think my parents are the first people that taught me to do that when I was a child.  Thanks for the lessons--they are paying off now!  As Olympic Champion Steven Prefontaine is quoted to say, "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."  This is one of my favorite sayings.  While I first encountered it as the back of a Cross Country shirt my team had in high school, I have found that it is a great way to live my life in the variety of academic and professional settings I have encountered.  I mean, what is the point in taking the energy to do something if you aren't going strive to do well?  And while I don't need an award from my company to tell me I am doing what I set out to do, I won't lie that it feels nice to have my accomplishments recognized by higher up managers.

My assistant manager, who was one of the other top 24 employees, gave me my invitation in the beginning of May.  Of all the branches in consideration, mine was the only branch to have two employees invited!

If you would like to see my award (and me) in person, come find me at work!  Our regional manager joked that he made sure that the award placard met our company's branch appearance standards so that we could all proudly show it off!

Thanks Mom!

Happy Mothers Day!

Thanks for everything, Mom!

This is an annual celebration that has origins dating all the way back to the ancient Greeks spring celebration to Reah, a maternal goddess.  The Romans held a similar festival honoring Cybele, also a maternal goddess.  Centuries later, Mothering Sunday emerged in the Christian faith on the fourth Sunday of Lent.  As a part of honoring mothers, children would give gifts and flowers to their mothers as a tribute for their work.

Today, Mothers Day as we know it has greeting cards, phone calls, candy, chocolate, flowers, gifts, jewelry, and nice restaurant meals.  Through the years, I believe we have provided all of the aforementioned items for my mom.  If you haven't done anything for your mom yet, it isn't too late!   Here are some low cost bank account friendly ideas you can try:

• Some home made cookies/cupcakes/mom's favorite _____
• Dinner Night: Mom's choice--or cook at home for her and wash the dishes
• Movie Night: Mom's choice of Redbox!
• Forget snail mail.  Try a free animated E-Card straight to your mom's email
• Coupons to clean or cook or take mom out to her choice of adventures
• Your choice of Mothers Day Cards with a promissory note you can locate below
• A simple hug and kind word of thanks
• A fresh cut bouquet of your May Flowers :)

$56.40: Guest-imations of what I would owe
Mom if this was a real organization and cause!

As a part of this year's Mother's Day Celebration, I found an awesomely hilarious website: The American Coalition for Labor Reparations.  The ACFLR is a factious organization.  The 'purpose' is "for the effective, impartial calculation and repayment of motherly labor."  You can even email an invoice with your intent for repayment to your mother!

Anyway, at this website, I imputed my guest-imations of the trials (stretch marks, weight gain, forced sobriety, etc) that my mom had to deal with in the nine months before my arrival in the world.  These inputs all have an associated price that determines how much I 'owe' my mom for her labor.  Since I am a 'good offspring' because I plan to recognize my mom tomorrow, the ACFLR website says I am granted an 80% discount!  This brings my total due to mom to $56.40.

While some aspects of Mothers Day may have found themselves commercialized, I believe the original intent is still apparent: honoring mothers.  Regardless of what you think about the celebration, take a few minutes tomorrow and thank your mom for all she has done throughout your existence.

Thanks for everything, Mom.

The Childhood Fantasy Nobody Has EVER Accomplished...(and for good reason too)

Remember when you were a little bitty squirt-kid?  I do.  And I'm willing to take a bet with you about something you thought about doing.

Do you accept?  Keep reading if you do!

Take a minute to think about it first.
...
...
...
...
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Good.  You accepted!  I'm willing to bet that when you were a little bitty kid, you dreamt of digging a hugely ginormous super big hole in the ground and planned to tunnel to the other side of the world in China.

You thought you could dig a hole to China.  Right?  I think almost every little kid growing up in the US thought that.  I know I did.  I vaguely remember an episode of Rugrats suggesting the idea to me.

Anyway--onward to the picture below:

http://www.antipodemap.com/

This is a picture of my antipodes map.  I would end up in the Indian Ocean near the western coast of Australia (assuming I didn't burn into a hot melted mess in the center of the earth first!)

Click on the link here and find out where you would end up!  Leave me a comment below to tell me what you discover!

P.S.  I hate to break it to you, but if you won your half of our bet...there is nothing physical you actually won.  But I'd love if you let me know you won!

The Weekend has Left the Building

But boy do I feel like I made it a great one!

I'm all smiles!  Happy Monday!

Saturday after work I...

1. Cleaned my apartment (by compiling my piles of dirty laundry)
2. Officially reserved lights and a jib for the upcoming 48 Hour Film Festival! (11 days!)
3. Went out to lunch...and dinner :)
4. Bought a new dress at St. Vincent De Paul for my upcoming Formal...for $3.59!!!
5. Saw a new movie The Avengers.  I do recommend it!
6. Enjoyed some quality hang out time with D and his family

Sunday I...

1. Had a chance to sleep in a little
2. Attended a non-traditional sermon series at Horizon Church where skeptics, doubters, and explorers put the minister in the 'hot seat.'  See more about that here.
3. Mowed grass with D as a surprise for when his parents got home!
4. Washed my laundry
5. Took a nap!
6. Began my freelance editing project for Greater Impact Ministries a few days early
7. Chuckled when, as predicted, D's neighbor had to mow the grass since his was no longer shorter.
8. Thoroughly enjoyed the AWESOME weather!
9. Squeezed in a few episodes of Bones.

I hope your weekend had as much fun filled busy-ness that mine did!  Happy Monday Everyone!

My Countdown begins!

May has arrived!  Which means the flowers should be here...  But more importantly...

...Also arriving in May is this year's 48 Hour Film Festival Cincinnati Edition!  After last year's success with both 'best song' award and a top ten finish for Cincinnati, I am ready to again embark in an exciting weekend journey with KeenOver Productions to seek for an even better end product.

I am excited to be able to use my four and a half years of E-Media training on a productive, and fun, project.  As I was last year, I will be the gaffer and lighting designer.  I also assume that I will assist in costuming, idea creation, site planning, and qualified opining making for other editing related activities.

The 2011 film project was the first weekend in August.  This year it is the middle of May.  Who knows?  Maybe KeenOver Productions will take a weekend to venture to the event in Columbus this July!  I'm sure my parents will be happy to host our busy minds! *hint*hint*Dad*

This is a sample from our 2011 project "Punch
Drunk Robot" where out genre was SciFi.  

Regardless of what happens in July, I am excited to begin my Cincinnati countdown.  The project begins in 16 days!